Two Honduran Nationals Indicted For Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm By An Alien

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A federal grand jury in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment against Alexander Josue Viatoro-Arita, 20, and Olver Anacleto Amador-Calderon, 24, both of Honduras, charging them with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), and Chief Trent Conard of the Gastonia Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment and the criminal complaint filed in the case, over the course of an investigation law enforcement identified Viatoro-Arita and Amador-Calderon as individuals involved in suspected drug trafficking activities. On January 14, 2025, law enforcement arrived at the hotel where the defendants had been staying in Charlotte and made contact with the defendants. According to court records, over the course of the exchange, law enforcement conducted a frisk of the defendants for safety and allegedly found concealed firearms in the defendants' waistbands. The defendants were taken into custody. It is alleged that Amador-Calderon possessed a .380 caliber Titan pistol, and Viatoro-Arita possessed a stolen 9mm Taurus pistol with a partially obliterated serial number. According to allegations in the indictment, both defendants were in the United States illegally, and both knowingly and unlawfully possessed firearms. It is further alleged in court documents that law enforcement also found in the hotel room a large quantity of U.S. currency and suspected narcotics.

The defendants are currently in federal custody. The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The charges against the defendants are allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI, CMPD, and the Gastonia Police Department are in charge of the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.